Management of Investigation Derived Waste (IDW)

During investigation field works different kinds of waste (investigation derived waste) are generated and in consequence, they will be managed and processed according with applicable Risk Reduction standard operating procedures. Furthermore, waste will be managed in such a way as to protect human health and environment, applicable regulatory requirements and fulfill waste minimization goals. Potentially contaminated types of IDW may include:

Decontamination fluids (generated due to cleaning of equipments and tools)

Purge water

Personal Protective Equipment

Management of waste associated to environmental site investigation requires a previous planning, which will help to identify some simple methods to minimize waste and to handle generated waste in an efficient manner, with the ultimate aim of reducing costs. For this reason, IDW minimization should be a primary goal during investigation planning, including ways to eliminate or minimize waste generation, the type of waste generated and how to dispose of the IDW properly. Hence, an IDW Minimization Plan may be prepared, including description of generated waste, expected chemicals and respective concentrations, amount of waste generated and proper waste disposal.